Thursday, July 30, 2015

Here are a few highlights from a recent short trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe:

Seeing lions, cheetahs, rhinos, elephants, buffaloes, hyenas, and giraffes on a game reserve.

Visiting the former residence of a worldwide icon whose life was devoted to eradicating oppression, Nelson Mandela.

Enjoying a sunset cruise along the Zambezi River.

Experiencing one of the world's largest waterfalls, Victoria Falls, on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Drinking South African wine.

Is there any possible way that our beat up, disrespected town could offer a similar experience? Shockingly, sort of:

Okay, so deer, rabbits, and squirrels don't quite match up to the above.

Rochester boasts the former residence of an individual who fought against the oppression of women, Susan B. Anthony. Although perhaps not as iconic as Mandela, her work was clearly critical. She, like Mandela, was arrested for her passion (granted she did not spend 27 years in prison). Rochester was also home to one of the most important abolitionists, Frederick Douglass.

Cruises along the Erie Canal and Canandaigua Lake are readily available. (I've done neither but have heard they are well worth doing.)

Rochester is about 90 minutes from another one of the world's largest waterfalls, also on the border of two countries, Niagara Falls. Closer to home, Rochester's High Falls is considered the largest urban waterfall in the country.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Rochesterians benefit from a low cost of living and remarkably short commute times. Coupled with the fact that no sacrifice occurs from an educational or cultural perspective, the overall package is nothing short of marvelous. We've seen that this high quality of life might explain the high rate of volunteerism. One would imagine that it might also translate into less stress.

CNNMoney recently ranked 55 metropolitan areas with over 1 million people in terms of stress. The methodology looked at five broad categories including the economy and money, work, family, lifestyle, and crime. The 10 Least Stressed Out Cities (from most to least stressed) were:

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Even the staunchest Rochester pessimists concede one positive about the region: the summers are phenomenal. In addition to providing a ludicrous number of cultural festivals, music events, free movies, and outdoor activities, the summers are...comfortable. With oppressive heat being kept to a minimum, Rochesterians can enjoy the season without losing IQ and gaining irritability.

Just how pleasant are the summers? Among the country's 51 largest metropolitan areas, here is the short list of the regions with a mean June-August temperature under 70 degrees:

Monday, July 13, 2015

As noted by RocWiki, the sun always shines in Rochester (at the proper altitude.) The reality is that a few clouds can be seen in the Rochester sky from time to time. And from time to time, the clouds can bring a touch of precipitation. Precipitation comes from the condensation of water vapor in the atmosphere and subsequently falls to the surface of the earth. Aside from giving local meteorologists a challenge and causing many a Rochesterian to whine, precipitation provides one other thing...water. Thanks to this water, Rochester does not have:

Extreme to exceptional drought, as is being seen in much of the country's most populated state

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

As seen previously, the Rochester region has a worthy (yet unbranded) world-class university as well as one of the best value public universities in the country. But if neither of these seems appealing, perhaps yet another understated jewel might. Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is without a doubt one of the area's finest assets:

In 2012, RIT's Kate Gleason College of Engineering was ranked by Business Insider as the 27th best engineering school in the world.

RIT's co-op program is the fourth oldest and one of the largest in the world.

RIT's student business incubator has been recognized as the best in the country.

In 2014, RIT was ranked as the nation's Geekiest Campus. Since geeks earn more, that's a good thing.

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About Me

In 2010, my wife and I moved to Rochester, NY. This move was not prompted by necessity, family, or another involuntary factor. We were community physicians, and we could have taken our trades essentially anywhere. Between the two of us, we had lived in New York City, Boston, and Washington D.C. We knew a total of zero people in Rochester. Why then would we leave the BosWash corridor for a much maligned city on the fringes of the Rust Belt and in the heart of the Snowbelt?
Because our research had revealed a surprising phenomenon. We had not discovered the dying industrial region that is portrayed by popular perception. To the contrary, we had uncovered a progressive history, artistic excellence, remarkable ingenuity, elite (suburban) public education, and economic determination. How, we asked ourselves, could such an enriching region have such a marginal reputation? We have since termed this discrepancy as the Rochester Phenomenon. While the Rochester Phenomenon has a certain charm, the future of this region depends in part on bridging the gap between perception and reality. It is hoped that this blog can contribute to this process, if even in a miniscule way.